Last year, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made a ton of headlines with his decision to not stand up for the playing of the national anthem before games began. Kaepernick’s protest lasted throughout the season, and he was not shy about sharing his thoughts about why he was doing it. As with most hot-button issues, Kaepernick received both praise and condemnation for his actions. Fast forward to today, and Kaepernick has been unable to find a new gig since his time with the 49ers came to a close.

As Yahoo shares, many observers believe that’s not a coincidence. In essence, there are claims making the rounds that he has been ‘blackballed’ from the league over his controversial stance. While Kaepernick hasn’t come right out and said that himself, he has been sharing a number of posts on social media that express that sentiment.

The posts are referring to a high-profile visit that Kaepernick made to the Seattle Seahawks. It’s standard practice for veteran NFLers without jobs to make the rounds in search of a new home, and visits from the more high-profile players receive a ton of attention when they happen. In Kaepernick’s case, his meeting with the Seahawks received even more attention than it normally would due to the theories making the rounds.

Kaepernick has not received an offer from the Seahawks, so even more fuel has been added to the fire. There are a ton of unanswered questions here, and many observers are making leaps to assume he wasn’t signed over his anthem stance. While that’s one possible theory, there could also be a lot more at play here.

For example, Kaepernick’s skills have been in decline. During the early portion of his playing career, he appeared to have the potential to be a transformative player due to his impressive array of skills. It hasn’t worked out that way. While Kaepernick is still skillful enough to hold a job, he has not delivered up to his promise. That can raise some potential red flags among prospective employers.

Additionally, player visits include a Q&A portion of the visit. Similar to job interviews in any other industry, that represents the opportunity for the employer to determine whether or not the interviewee will be a good fit for the organization. While we don’t know for sure what was said, it’s entirely plausible that the Seahawks simply determined they didn’t have a match.

We’ll have to wait and see how this plays out in the long run. There’s a chance that Kaepernick will eventually receive a shot from a quarterback-needy team, and the blackball theory will become a moot point. If he doesn’t receive that shot, then perhaps there’s some fire behind the smoke.